Here's the problem with voice acting in all games. It is incredibly hard to display all the emotion and choices an actor makes when you have to contend with the time constraint of a character's lip movement, so making all those internal and character choices is extremely difficult. All you can play is a simple emotion of a line as quickly as you can. That's why most dubs sound amateurish compared to movies/games built already in our own language. I can't really fault SO3 for the most part (I mean, there were some really bad performances that were more voices than timing).

Err... I think the problem with English voicing is the way that it's handled. In Japan, individuals are choosen for parts based on actual talent... For dubs, they just choose a studio and simply mix and match whoever is available...

Uh...maybe. But I think having to work with the different vocal timing of the spoken japanese language is a more noticeable problem. There's not a noticeable difference in talent between the voice actors over here and over there, at least not from what I see.

No matter how bad an actor is, they wouldn't purposefully but in all those wierd inflections and spacing between words. I guess with translations, most companies don't really have the time to go over and over a line to make sure it sounds right.

Games are something completely different over there. It wouldn't surprised me one bit if they choose video games voice actors the same way they do for movies. Dubs for video games in the US simply don't work that way...

This really has nothing to do with Star Ocean 3, but rather Star Ocean 2. Is this game worth playing past the tournament? With loathsome characters, abysmal voice acting, and a battle system so frustrating and inane it makes me want to castrate myself with a hammer and chisel, I'm just wondering if there comes a point where it suddenly blows me away, and stops being the single worst game I have ever played (I haven't played a whole lot, but more than most people). Otherwise, I can break even what I paid for it by selling it on eBay.Decent music, though.

Logged

... You have created a demon of your heart's designs, fallen angel? Then doom shall set us apart... now and forevermore... -YHWH (?), Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne

It's been years and years since I played SO2, and while I don't remember much else about the game, I do remember being bored by it all the way through. So I will have to agree with Eusis here - no, you won't :P

This really has nothing to do with Star Ocean 3, but rather Star Ocean 2. Is this game worth playing past the tournament? With loathsome characters, abysmal voice acting, and a battle system so frustrating and inane it makes me want to castrate myself with a hammer and chisel, I'm just wondering if there comes a point where it suddenly blows me away, and stops being the single worst game I have ever played (I haven't played a whole lot, but more than most people). Otherwise, I can break even what I paid for it by selling it on eBay.Decent music, though.

I'd say it would be worth it for the battle system and extra's.... but, SO3 pretty much has and surpasses them.

SO2 is amazing. I don't know why you complain about the "VA", as voices can only be heard in battles.As for the rest of the game, it is all about the songs, battle system and the engaging skill and craft system; and the private actions of course.If you don't like these, don't bother playing the game, although I enjoyed the plot back then.

SO2 is amazing. I don't know why you complain about the "VA", as voices can only be heard in battles.

It's different for each person. Personally, I /hate/ it when they insist on yelling out shit when doing a single damn thing in the middle of a fight. But that's more of a problem in turn based games (Atelier Iris really annoyed me in English as far as this went), while with more action packed games like Star Ocean I'm more focused on the action. I understand that bad voice acting can do harm to a cutscene, but the constant irritation from hearing it in battle is almost just as bad. :P

I started replaying this game, and I must say, I'm loving it more this time.

I think more games should do something like this one's "Dictionary", I love reading that thing, its especially great to see how they explain some scientific terms and talk about previous SO titles.

I think that game had issues with how it was designed, since you could come across spoiler filled ones way before you found out in-game... But. It's still good, and should really be used in any game with an assload of characters/terms.

Yeah, I noticed some spoilers before they happened too, nevertheless, it helps add depth, especially to a game that is meant to be huge (taking place in universes and such). I like how it seems they actually put thought into some things.

Actually, one thing that bothers me a bit to this day was: (SO2 spoilers)

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Ronoxisis' death, its not really a big deal AT ALL unless you played SO1. Thank goodness for DeJap I guess.